Throttle control for internal combustion engines



R. K. LEE

THROTTLE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 3, 1939 INVENTOR.

ROGE R K. LE E ATTORNEYS BYE Patented Dec. 2, 1 941 THROTTLE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Roger K. Lee, Highland Park, Mich., assignor to Kcnlee Corporation, Detroit, Mich a. corporation of Michigan Application July 3, 1939, Serial N0. 282,575

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to control means for internal combustion engines and specifically to throttle valve control means.

In the conventional automobile engine, the mixture of fuel and air is controlled by means of a throttle valve usually operated by means of a foot pedal and, not infrequently, the operator, when desirous of accelerating engine speed quickly, will open the throttle suddenly and too wide for the best results.

As a result of such rapid and complete opening it often happens that the engine receives too much mixture and chokes. Another result is that sudden breaking of the manifold vacuum or suction down to near atmospheric pressure seriously interferes with proper distribution of the mixture. And a third result is a temporary but often serious interference with the operation of suction actuated accessories such as the windshield wiper.

Among the objects of the present invention is means to prevent these occurrences by preserving at all times a. predetermined reduced pressure or vacuum in the intake manifold.

Another object is a throttle actuating means which may be preadjusted to accord with the manifold vacuum desired and which will retard the opening of the throttle by the operator sufficiently to maintain such vacuum.

Still other objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a partial side elevation of an automobile engine showing an installation involving the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical central section of a portion of the intake manifold taken at right angles to the plane of Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are respectively sections on lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figure 2.

In the drawing, an engine indicated at I is shown as provided with an intake manifold M into which is fed fuel-air mixture through a carburetor I2, the amount of the mixture flowing in being controlled by a butterfly valve I5.

The valve I5 is shown as provided with a short crank arm or lever I6 pivoted upon the movable end of a bellows I'I suitably stationarily supported, while the latter is connected through a tube I8 to a second bellows I9 located upon the fioor 20 of the drivers compartment under a foot lever or pedal 2|. The two bellows I1 and I9 preferably will be filled with a suitable liquid. Obviously, pressure upon the pedal 2| would expend bellows II and, through arm I6, open valve I5, if the valve shaft were directly connected to arm I6.

In the present invention, however, the arm I6 is not connected directly to the valve I5 but to a short shaft portion 30 extending through the wall of the manifold and into a sleeve 3| fixed to the valve I5, the end of shaft portion 30 being at a point intermediate the width of the valve and being bored axially to receive the end of a rod 32, and also being slotted longitudinally, as at 33, to receive a laterally projecting pin 34 fixed in the rod 32 near its inner end.

The rod 32 extends from the bore in shaft 30 loosely through a second sleeve or sleeve portion 3|a and through the manifold wall, the rod 32 and shaft 30 serving to support and pivot valve l5.

Intermediate the ends of sleeve portion 3|a there is out a helical cam slot 40, and arranged to cooperate with this slot is a pin 4| fixed at a suitable location in rod 32.

As shown in Figure 2, the rod 32 projects some distance from the manifold M and into a suitable bellows 45, or other expansible and collapsible element, being swivelled in the outer end wall thereof as at 46, suitable means, such as a cap 41, being used to render the bellows or other element air tight at this point.

This bellows 45 is fixed in position over the rod 32 and its interior communicates through a suitable passage 48 with the manifold M on the engine side of the valve I5. It also is provided with a suitable spring 50, the compression resistance of which is selected or adjusted to accord with the manifold vacuum desired to be maintained.

In the operation of the valve I5, the arm I6, turning shaft 30, also rotates the rod 32 through the action of slot 33 and pin 34, and the rod- 32, through pin 4| and cam slot 40 turns the sleeve 3|a and thereby the valve I5. When, however, this opening of valve I5 reduces the vacuum in the manifold M to below the predetermined amount, the bellows 45 will immediately expand and move rod 32 outwardly. This movement, through the action of pin 4| and cam slot 40, will turn the valve I5 with reference to shaft 30 and move it back toward closed position sufficiently to restore the desired vacuum.

In making an installation of the above described device, the location of pin 4|, cam slot 40 and the selection or adjustment of spring 50 and bellows 45 will be made so that these parts will respond to the desired pressure in the intake 2 aaeeoso' manifold-say two inches of mercury. Of course. any other amount of vacuum may be selected if desired.

I claim:

1. A throttle valve for the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. said valve con sisting of a plate pivoted in said manifold and having a sleeve at its pivoted axis, an operating shaft extending into said sleeve, a second and coaxial shaft extending into said sleeve and movable longitudinally thereof. means connecting said shafts and ilxing them against relative rotation, cam means carried by said sleeve, means carried by said second shaft and enacting with said cam means, and means for moving said second shaft longitudinally whereby to vary the angular position of said valve plate with respect to the shaft.

2. A throttle valve for the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. said valve con- 15 .the shafts.

ROGER K. LEE. 

